The quintessential Australian war movie, Gallipoli has stood the test of time as an anti-war movie in which the themes mateship, bravery, and the horror of war haunt viewers long after its tragic conclusion.

Set in 1915 Western Australia, Gallipoli stars Mel Gibson and Mark Lee as rival athletes who form a strong bond whilst travelling to Perth to join the Australian Army in the battle against Turkish forces in Gallipoli.

Weir along with acclaimed Australian writer David Williamson (The Odd Angry Shot) do a great job creating depth filled characters, which Lee and especially Gibson bring to life with convincing skill. It all leads to memorably tragic conclusion that haunts the soul of all those who watched.

Conspiracy thrillers don’t come as engrossing and stylish and Blow Out, the Brian De Palma directed remake (or “reimagining”) of Blow Up that has taken on cult-classic status over the years.

Blow Out stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician who - during a night of recording - unintentionally captures evidence of a political assassination. Now a marked man, Jack must save the life of a call-girl (Nancy Allen) who is also trapped in the conspiracy.

De Palma brings all his visual flair to Blow Out without sacrificing the suspense driven storytelling that deftly delves into the themes of corruption, media manipulation, and mistrust of our institutions. Travolta, meanwhile, delivers one of his best performances as an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary situation.  

Lawrence Kasdan’s directorial debut Body Heat is a red-hot thriller where the undeniable chemistry of its leads is matched by the engrossing twists and turns of its storytelling.

William Hurt stars in Body Heat as Ned Racine, a low rent lawyer embroiled in a passionate affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) who is married to shady businessman Edmund (Richard Crenna) with whom she has signed a prenuptial agreement. When Matty convinces Ned to kill her husband, an obsessed Ned finds himself caught in a web of murder and seduction.

Body Heat is a sweat drenched erotic crime thriller that features terrific lead performances from Hurt and especially Turner who sets the screen afire with her scorching presence.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable have been a fixture in all forms of entertainment, yet it is John Boorman’s 1981 classic Excalibur that wears the crown as the most entertaining take on the legend.

This dark medieval fantasy stars Nigel Terry as King Arthur, the son of Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) and wielder of magical sword Excalibur, who under the guidance of sorcerer Merlin (Nicol Williamson) unites the Britons at the Round Table of Camelot in defiance against dark forces that threaten to destroy them.

Full of style, sex and magic, Excalibur is packed with big names (Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, Gabriel Byrne) and even bigger visuals to make for a one-of-a-kind fantasy adventure.

Brilliant and brutal, The Long Good Friday is an impressively made British gangster classic of ever reaching influence.

The Long Good Friday stars Bob Hoskins as Harold Shand, the kingpin of London’s criminal network whose plans to redevelop London Docklands is a major part of his strategy to expand his power in the industrial and real estate networks that are set to boom.  With his loyal partner Victoria (Helen Mirren) by his side and the American mafia as potential investors all is looking good, until the IRA make their presence known by targeting Shand’s crime network one violent act at a time.

Part mystery, part gangster movie, part commentary on the incestuous relationship between crime and capitalism, The Long Good Friday is as smart as it is entertaining. Director John McKenzie does a great job weaving the various elements of Barrie Keeffe’s screenplay to make for a complex yet utterly compelling crime thriller. Bob Hoskins, meanwhile, is terrific as the ambitious crime boss whose kingdom is attacked by a mysterious and deadly force.

Featuring director John Landis at his creative best, An American Werewolf in London is a howling good horror comedy that continues to be the high standard in creature feature filmmaking.

An American Werewolf in London begins with two travelling American’s David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dune) lost in the moors in Yorkshire, England, when they are attacked by a werewolf on a full moon night. While Jack is slaughtered and subsequently cursed to roam the world as a rotting corpse, David must deal with his own affliction as a werewolf that terrorises the rain-soaked streets of London.

Cue the now infamous transformation scene, in which visual and make up effects maestro Rick Baker transforms Naughton into a werewolf in a hair raising, bone rattling sequence that more than holds its own when compared to the CGI effects of today. Landis adds much flavour to An American Werewolf in London with multiple dream sequences that are as surreal as they are frightening, not to mention a wicked sense of dark comedy that fits right into the grizzly, supernatural nature of the films’ main plotline.

Michael Mann’s feature film directorial debut Thief set the blueprint for his forays into the lives of men (often criminals) obsessed with their work. It also remains one of his best films.

Set in the rain-soaked street of Chicago, Thief stars James Caan as Frank, an ex-con and professional safe cracker who envisions a life after crime with his girlfriend Jesse (Tuesday Weld). When he reluctantly agrees to work for crime boss Leo (Robert Prosky) under the pretence of “one last job”, the fiercely independent Frank finds himself in too deep.

A crime thriller that doubles as a tragedy, Thief displays a grim authenticity to its work-a-day heist exploits that Mann combines with high-stakes drama. Complementing is Caan’s excellent performance as a thief whose pursuit of domestic heaven turns into a nightmare.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is that rare sequel that not only matches its predecessor but leaves it lying in the dust while not succumbing to the trappings of conventional Hollywood filmmaking. 

Set in post-apocalyptic outback Australia, Mel Gibson reprises his breakthrough role of Max (Mel Gibson), a former police officer turned cynical loner, who agrees to help an oil-rich commune besieged by homicidal road bandits haul a tanker of fuel to a new location. Cue an incredible chase sequence, in which Max fends off all matter of unhinged and murderous road brutes and savages while driving a Mack semi.

The wide-open landscapes of Australia’s Broken Hill become a playground for all matter of vehicles as motorbikes, supped up V8’s, and dune buggies are transformed into death on wheels, director George Miller capturing all of the vehicular violence and creating an exceptional action movie in the process.

It is indeed a special film that can convince its viewers of pining sympathy upon the fate of a crew of Nazi's submariners. Yet Wolfgang Peterson's 1982 war thriller Das Boot does just that, turning the tables of war film conventions by presenting the other side of the WWII conflict without resorting to goose stepping stereotype in the portrayal of its protagonists.

Based on historic events, Peterson's ultra-realistic depiction of life inside a German U-Boat both dazzles and draws his viewers into this claustrophobic world filled with chaos, banality, and bad hygiene, as a crew of raw recruits led by a cynical captain (Jurgen Prochnow) must contend with British naval superiority and the inept command of the Nazi brass.